Here's the Beef #SundaySupper #RoastPerfect

If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don’t, please do at @kimchimom), then you may have noticed that I was out in Wooster, Ohio at the Certified Angus Beef® culinary center with 19 other members of the Sunday Supper family in early November. As much as it was about eating, there was a lot of hands-on and up-close learnin’. Here are a few things that stuck with me after this whirlwind weekend.

Jenny Melrose of The Melrose Family and Thien-Kim Lam of I’m Not the Nanny.

1 – First and foremost, nothing can replace real life interaction. The majority of the Sunday Supper members have known each other virtually for several years now, but nothing beats meeting each other in real life. It’s hard to replace a hug, a conversation while walking through a market, or spontaneous late-night laughs in pajamas. These interactions really cement the online relationships we’ve forged through blogging and all that comes with it. And let’s not forget our friends at Certified Angus Beef®. There are real people behind the big name brand. It was truly great to hang out with such dedicated individuals. What I’m saying is, if you have the opportunity to network and learn, take advantage of it and get to know the people in your circles.

With Chef Tony Biggs and Chef Michael Ollier

Chefs Tony Biggs and Michael Ollier.

So let’s talk about beef. Here are a few things that I learned that you may or may not already know, but impressed me.

2 – Not all meat is graded, but by law all meat should be inspected.

How many have you have gone to the store and wondered about all these stamps, stickers, and signs with grades and inspections plastered all over your beef? A, B, C, D, and E? Select, Choice, and Prime? Eeney, meeney, miney, mo? Quality grading is determined by the maturity (physiological age) of the beef and the amount of marbling. These are scrutinized by using 10 science-based specifications. This quality grading predicts the palatability or the pleasing confluence of the traits taste, tenderness, and juiciness. Larger amount of marbling will acquire a higher grade, but also remember that buying a leaner cut of beef does not mean a lesser quality of beef. It just takes a little more care in cooking lean meat. Cooking with care!

So how does Certified Angus Beef brand beef score? They are always Grade A, Choice or Prime. Take a look at the chart below.

3 – The notion that searing your beef seals in the juices is a myth.

The reason we sear beef is to develop a nice flavorful crust. Flavor, flavor, flavor. The whole notion of “locking in juices” is a misconception. Proper cooking technique based on time and temperature will ensure the most flavorful steak.

Searing beef #RoastPerfect #SundaySupper

Sear your roast on the grill or in the oven.

4 – Most cattle are grass-fed

This may or may not concern you, but I found this tidbit of information interesting. The cattle raised for Certified Angus Beef® brand is grass-fed and grain-finished. Yes, cattle are grass-fed at the beginning. Some are grass-finished which means that the cattle has fed on grass for its entire life. If you’ve ever had a grass-fed steak, it’s much leaner and, in my opinion, a gamier flavor. Certainly not a bad thing, but more of a personal preference. The grain finish ensures optimal marbling in the beef and the marbling is what gives the beef that beefy flavor and juicy tenderness – the palatability. See no. 2.

5 – Not all fat are created equal.

We learned that subcutaneous fat is the fat under the skin. This is usually the white fat cap surrounding or capping the muscle. Trim or not to trim? This layer can be trimmed, but you can leave at least 1/4 inch of the fat cap to help develop a flavorful crust. The fat cap also allows the roast to self-baste while cooking, but this is not where the flavor comes from. The intramuscular fat is the marbling that you see throughout the muscle or meat. This is what gives the beef its palatability – flavor, tenderness, and juiciness. Intermuscular fat is simply the fat between the muscle or “seam fat” and this fat generally defines the cuts of the beef. This can be trimmed.

Thanks again to our friends at Certified Angus Beef®. It was truly a memorable and productive weekend. And in case you missed it, check out these scrumptious holiday roast recipes from my fellow super Sunday Supper bloggers with whom I shared this experience.